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During the Precambrian–Cambrian transition, tubicolous animals were prevalent among small shelly fossils. These include the oldest‐known skeletal fossil Cloudina from the terminal Ediacaran, and anabarites and hyoliths from the early Cambrian; considered to be possible annelids, cnidarians, and molluscs, respectively. Tubular fossils have important bio‐stratigraphic significance during this period, and their diversity and evolutionary radiation trend herald the Cambrian explosion. However, the relative morphological simplicity of these fossils and lack of preserved soft‐body information has resulted in poor taxonomic constraints. Here, numerous tubular fossils exhibiting multi‐stage cylindrical or conical cups were recovered from the middle–upper Guojiaba Formation of Cambrian Series 2, Stage 3, in Mianxian, South China. One new genus (Mianxiantubus) and three new species (M. cyathiformis, M. obconicus, and M. varius) were established to accommodate the morphological diversity of the fossils. However, their affinities remain contentious and undetermined and have been tentatively ascribed to Cnidaria. The possible morphology and growth patterns of Mianxiantubus suggest a close relationship with cloudinomorph fossils, although it is notably distinct from the quintessential cloudinids owing to the presence of transverse septa. Moreover, many other tubular fossils have been recovered from the same level, which may extend to the overlying Xiannvdong Formation (Stage 3), co‐occurring with archaeocyathids. This suggests that tubicolous organisms continued to diversify and occupied specific ecological niches even during the peak phase of the Cambrian explosion, dominated by bilateral epifaunal vagrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amphibians and reptiles, especially the critically endangered Chinese alligators, are vulnerable to climate change. Historically, the decline in suitable habitats and fragmentation has restricted the distribution of Chinese alligators to a small area in southeast Anhui Province in China. However, the effects of climate change on range‐restricted Chinese alligator habitats are largely unknown. We aimed to predict current and future (2050s and 2070s) Chinese alligator distribution and identify priority conservation areas under climate change. We employed species distribution models, barycenter migration analyses, and the Marxian model to assess current and future Chinese alligator distribution and identify priority conservation areas under climate change. The results showed that the lowest temperature and rainfall seasonality in the coldest month were the two most important factors affecting the distribution of Chinese alligators. Future predictions indicate a reduction (3.39%–98.41%) in suitable habitats and a westward shift in their distribution. Further, the study emphasizes that suitable habitats for Chinese alligators are threatened by climate change. Despite the impact of the Anhui Chinese Alligator National Nature Reserve, protection gaps persist, with 78.27% of the area lacking priority protected area. Our study provides crucial data for Chinese alligator adaptation to climate change and underscores the need for improved conservation strategies. Future research should refine conservation efforts, consider individual plasticity, and address identified limitations to enhance the resilience of Chinese alligator populations in the face of ongoing climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses country-level panel data covering 173 countries for the period 2003–2015 and employs the two-tier stochastic frontier gravity model to investigate empirically the impact of China's outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) on its export. The results of this study indicate that China's OFDI has a positive and statistically significant influence on promoting China's export. The results for different country groups with different levels of China's OFDI stock show that the effect of China's OFDI on promoting China's export is much higher in the countries with high level of China's OFDI stock than in the countries with low level of China's OFDI stock. The results also show that the country-specific constraints emanating from both the 'behind the border' factors and the 'beyond the border' factors have played a significant role in China's export growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Revealing the mechanisms underlying soil microbial community assembly is a fundamental objective in molecular ecology. However, despite increasing body of research on overall microbial community assembly mechanisms, our understanding of subcommunity assembly mechanisms for different prokaryotic and fungal taxa remains limited. Here, soils were collected from more than 100 sites across southwestern China. Based on amplicon high‐throughput sequencing and iCAMP analysis, we determined the subcommunity assembly mechanisms for various microbial taxa. The results showed that dispersal limitation and homogenous selection were the primary drivers of soil microbial community assembly in this region. However, the subcommunity assembly mechanisms of different soil microbial taxa were highly variable. For instance, the contribution of homogenous selection to Crenarchaeota subcommunity assembly was 70%, but it was only around 10% for the subcommunity assembly of Actinomycetes, Gemmatimonadetes and Planctomycetes. The assembly of subcommunities including microbial taxa with higher occurrence frequencies, average relative abundance and network degrees, as well as wider niches tended to be more influenced by homogenizing dispersal and drift, but less affected by heterogeneous selection and dispersal limitation. The subcommunity assembly mechanisms also varied substantially among different functional guilds. Notably, the subcommunity assembly of diazotrophs, nitrifiers, saprotrophs and some pathogens were predominantly controlled by homogenous selection, while that of denitrifiers and fungal pathogens were mainly affected by stochastic processes such as drift. These findings provide novel insights into understanding soil microbial diversity maintenance mechanisms, and the analysis pipeline holds significant value for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Export diversification is important during the process of structural change for emerging economics. • The impact of OFDI on export diversification is examined. • The empirical evidence indicates that OFDI is conducive to export product diversification and export market diversification. • The diversification effect mainly comes from optimized organizational structure and improved business performance of the OFDI firms. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of export diversification in facilitating emerging economies' structural change and economic development. This study aims at investigating whether outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) can promote export diversification. Using a firm-product-level dataset, this study investigates empirically the impact of China's OFDI conducted by exporting firms on their export diversification both at product-level and destination-level. By employing propensity score matching (PSM) techniques and differences-in-differences (DID) analysis, this study finds that China's OFDI has a positive and statistically significant impact on promoting China's diversification of export basket, and the promotion effects vary upon different motivations of OFDI. A dynamic effect test shows that the promotion effects of OFDI are significant for several consecutive years after outward investment was made. In addition, this study also finds that the promotion effects mainly come from optimised organisational structure and improved business performance of the OFDI firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the impact of China's outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) on the export similarity (EXSI) between China and the countries along the Belt and Road by using an unbalanced panel dataset involving 64 Belt and Road countries (BRCs) from 2003 to 2018. The empirical analysis indicates that China's OFDI has a positive impact on the EXSIs of commodities as a whole. Specifically, it finds that Chinese OFDI has a positive impact on the EXSI of primary products but has a negative impact on the EXSIs of resource-based manufactures, low-technology manufactures, and medium-skill/high-skill and technology-intensive manufactures. Furthermore, by classifying the BRCs into resource-rich, low-income, and high-income groups, we find that China's OFDI reduces the EXSIs of resource-intensive manufactures in resource-rich BRCs, low-technology manufacturesin low-income BRCs, and high-skill and technology-intensive manufactures in high-income BRCs. This finding is generally consistent with the resource endowments and comparative advantages of China and the BRCs. In addition, we find that since the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative, China's OFDI has not only increasingly fostered the export dissimilarity (specialisation) of resource-intensive manufactures and labour-intensive manufactures between China and BRCs but also promoted the export upgrading of BRCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to study both similarities and differences in female students' creativity between Mainland China and Taiwan. As two main aspects influencing creativity, playfulness and humor are especially focused on in this comparative study. Empirical data were collected from 831 students in Mainland China and 703 students in Taiwan. Based on data analysis, we find common characteristics, gender differences, and regional differences in the creativity of female postgraduate students. The female students in both regions are less confident in their abilities in scientific research and innovative behavior than males. The female students in Mainland China are less confident in playfulness, humor, and creative life experience than their counterparts. The female students in Taiwan are more masculine than their counterparts in Mainland China.

Aims: We aimed to investigate the independent associations between growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF‐15) level at admission and cardiovascular (CV) death, thrombotic events, heart failure (HF), and bleeding outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods and results: We measured the plasma concentrations of GDF‐15 centrally in patients from the BIomarker‐based Prognostic Assessment for patients with Stable angina and acute coronary Syndrome (BIPass) registry, which consecutively enrolled patients with CAD from November 2017 to September 2019 at five tertiary hospitals in China. The outcomes included CV death, thrombotic events [myocardial infarction (MI) and ischaemic stroke], HF events [acute HF during hospitalization and hospitalization for HF post‐discharge (A/H HF) and cardiogenic shock], and bleeding outcomes [non‐coronary artery bypass grafting‐related major bleeding and clinically significant bleeding (CSB)] during the 12 month follow‐up period after hospitalization. Among 6322 patients with CAD {65.4% male, median age 63.7 [inter‐quartile range (IQR)] 56.0–70.1 years}, the median concentration of plasma GDF‐15 at admission was 1091 (IQR 790.5–1635.0) ng/L. Higher concentrations of GDF‐15 were associated with an increased risk of CV death [hazard ratio (HR) 1.98, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.35–2.88, P < 0.001], A/H HF (HR 2.69, 95% CI 1.92–3.77, P < 0.001), cardiogenic shock (HR 1.46, 95% CI 1.04–2.05, P = 0.029), and CSB (HR 1.48, 95% CI 1.22–1.79, P < 0.001), but not for MI or stroke, after adjusting for clinical risk factors and prognostic biomarkers. Adding GDF‐15 to the model with risk factors and biomarkers improved the net reclassification for CV death, A/H HF, cardiogenic shock, and CSB. Conclusions: In patients with CAD, admission levels of GDF‐15 were associated with an increased 1 year risk of CV death, HF, and bleeding outcomes, but not with thrombotic events. GDF‐15 may be a prognostic biomarker for CV death, HF, and bleeding outcomes and could be used to refine the risk assessment of these specific clinical outcomes. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04044066 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil erosion poses a global threat to arable land and its sustainability, particularly in China, where the most severe soil erosion exists worldwide. No-tillage (NT) and mulching (NTS) are considered the most effective soil management techniques for reducing erosion, but only 10% of the global area utilizes them. Therefore, in comparison to conventional tillage (CT), we conducted a comprehensive national assessment of NT and NTS to evaluate their impact on water erosion across China's croplands for the period spanning 2000 to 2018, through using Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE); subsequently, we projected the temporal and spatial erosion distribution, and examined their effects of various underlying driving factors by using a random-forest model. Nationally, the average soil loss rates were 1085, 564, and 396 t km−2 a−1 for the CT, NT, and NTS, respectively, across the entire arable land over a span of 18 years. This represents a reduction of 48% and 64% in the NT and NTS, respectively, compared to CT. From 2000 to 2018, water erosion-induced soil loss exhibited a slightly increasing trend with a wavelike pattern in CT, NT, and NTS. The spatial distribution of water erosion in China's arable land was primarily influenced by local precipitation, accounting for 45% to 52% of the total impact on CT, NT, and NTS. Additionally, the soil slope degree played a role, contributing 29% to 36% of the erosion patterns. Overall, NT and NTS demonstrated superior performance in mitigating the soil erosion in the southern regions of China, including the Central South, Southwest, and East China, owing to the substantial local rainfall and steep terrain. In contrast, NT and NTS exhibited a lower but still significant reduction in soil loss in the northern regions of China due to the flat topography and limited rainfall. However, considering the trade-off between economic losses (yield) and ecosystem benefits (erosion control), we recommend implementing NT and NTS primarily in the northern parts of China, such as the Northeast, North China, and Northwest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigates the impact of Chinese outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) on the comparative advantage (CA) of the Belt and Road countries (BRCs). This study uses the national-level panel data of Chinese OFDI flowing into 62 BRCs and disaggregated sectoral data from BRCs categorised by factor intensity from 2003 to 2017 and applies dynamic system generalised method-of-moments (GMM) estimators with instrument variables. The findings suggest that Chinese OFDI has a strong positive effect on the CA of BRCs in natural resource-intensive industries, a relatively weak positive effect on the CA of BRCs in labour-intensive textile, garment and footwear sectors, and a negative effect on the CA of BRCs in other labour-intensive sectors. Additionally, Chinese OFDI has a negative effect on the CA of BRCs in capital- and technology-intensive sectors, but the impact is positive in high-income BRCs. In contrast, non-Chinese OFDI shows a negative effect on the CA of BRCs in the natural resource industry, while non-Chinese OFDI significantly promotes labour-intensive industry and capital technology-intensive industry. Under the Belt and Road Initiative, BRCs are required to facilitate or prioritize Chinese investment in sectors complying with their own development strategies and resource endowments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Citrus fruits are economically and nutritionally important but have been severely affected by Huanglongbing disease (HLB), its natural spread is mainly by the Asian Citrus Psyllid,Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae). Chemicals are often used to control this pest, but this is not sustainable. Meanwhile, there are few environmentally friendly bioinsecticides to control D. citri in China. Results: In this study, an entomofungal pathogen wz-1 was isolated from a D. citri carcass in the field, which resulted in a cumulative mortality rate of 75.27% in adult D. citri 7 days after inoculation of the spore suspension. It was identified as Cladosporium subuliforme based on morphological analysis as well as sequence analysis of several molecular markers (Internal Transcribed Spacers, Translation Elongation Factor 1-α and Actin). Remarkably, the lethality rate of adult D. citri reached 53.13%, 48 h after treatment with the aqueous phase extracts of wz-1. Hydroxyquinoline and phytosphingosine in the extracts were identified as potentially active metabolites using LC–MS. Conclusions: The entomopathogenicity and bioinsecticidal potential of C. subuliforme were previously unknown. Obtained results showed that both spores and extracts of wz-1 can effectively kill adult D. citri, providing an available fungal resource and a theoretical basis for biocontrol of the HLB insect vector D. citri. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydropower is an important clean renewable energy that plays a key role in coping with issues such as global energy security, environmental protection, and climate change. In order to improve the optimal operation ability of hydropower reservoirs in the context of forecast runoff with limited accuracy and prediction period, there has been a growing interest in deriving operating rules of hydropower reservoirs. Reasonable operation decision is very important for safe operation of reservoirs and efficient utilization of water resources. Therefore, a novel method of operation rules derivation is proposed in this study. Optimal operation model of hydropower reservoir is established and support vector machine (SVM) is used to derive operation rules based on the optimal operation results. In order to improve the performance of SVM, the Henry gas solubility optimization (HGSO) is used to optimize its hyperparameters for the first time. Meanwhile, multiple strategies are applied to overcome the drawbacks of HGSO. The multi-verse optimizer (MVO) is used to enhance the exploration capability of basic HGSO. Quadratic interpolation (QI) is used to improve the exploitation ability of HGSO. In this study, the Xiluodu and Xiangjiaba hydropower reservoirs in the upper Yangtze River of China were selected as a case study. First, the improved HGSO called MVQIHGSO was tested on 23 classical benchmark functions. Then, it was employed to optimize hyperparameters of SVM model for deriving operation rules. The results and statistical studies indicate that the improved HGSO outperforms the comparison algorithms in exploration and exploitation. The obtained results imply that the novel method named MVQIHGSO-SVM can provide a new practical tool to deriving operation rules for hydropower reservoirs, which is conducive to the safe and efficient utilization of water resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phellodendron-associated higre-like virus (PaHLV) was identified in Phellodendron amurense Rupr. in China. Three near-full-length sequences of the viral genomic RNAs (RNA1–RNA3) were first obtained by RNA-seq, and their complete sequences were then determined by RT-PCR, 5′-RACE, and 3′-RACE. RNA1–3 of PaHLV were determined to be 8,183, 3,062, and 3,998 nucleotides (nt) in length, respectively, excluding the poly(A) tail. All of the viral proteins encoded by PaHLV shared the highest amino acid sequence identity (44.8–78.1%) with the unclassified kitavirid pistachio virus X (PiVX, MT334618–MT334620) from Iranian pistachio. Sequence comparisons and phylogenetic analysis also showed PiVX to be the closest relative of PaHLV and supported their inclusion in the genus Higrevirus, family Kitaviridae. Thus, PaHLV is proposed to be a member of a new species in this genus, for which we suggest the binomial name "Higrevirus amur". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water use efficiency (WUE) is a key physiological trait in studying plant carbon and water relations. However, the determinants of WUE across a large geographical scale are not always clear, limiting our capacity to predict WUE in response to future global climate change. We propose that tree WUE is influenced by calcium (Ca) availability and precipitation. In addition, although it is well-known that transpiration is the major driving force for passive nutrient uptake, the linkage between these two processes has not been well-established. Because Ca uptake is an apoplastic and passive process that purely relies on transpiration, and there is no translocation once assimilated, we further developed a theoretical model to quantify the relationship between tree Ca accumulation and WUE using soil-to-plant calcium ratio (S Ca/ B Ca) and tree WUE derived from δ13C. We tested our theoretical model and predicted relationships using three common tree species across their native habitats in Northern China, spanning 2300 km and a controlled greenhouse experiment with soil Ca concentrations manipulated. We found that tree WUE was negatively related to precipitation of the growing season (GSP) and positively with soil Ca. A multiple regression model and a path analysis suggested a higher contribution of soil Ca to WUE than GSP. As predicted by our theoretical model, we found a positive relationship between WUE and S Ca/ B Ca across their distribution ranges in all three tree species and in the controlled experiment for one selected species. This relationship suggests a tight coupling between water and Ca uptake and the potential use of S Ca/ B Ca to indicate WUE. A negative relationship between S Ca/ B Ca and GSP also suggests a possible decrease in tree Ca accumulation efficiency in a drier future in Northern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The enrichment of heavy metals in air-borne particulate matters poses a great threat to health. In order to understand the mineralogical characteristics and sources of heavy metals in atmospheric particulate matter in coal mining cities, PM2.5 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm), PM10 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 10 μm) and TSP (total suspended particulates) were sampled from Huainan city, China in December 2016 and May 2017. The contents of heavy metals in TSP are the highest, while those in PM2.5 are the lowest. Zn, Mn, and Pb are the main components of heavy metals in Huainan atmospheric particulates. Straw burning activities may result in relatively higher atmospheric particulate matter content in summer than that in winter. The proportion of mineral particles in the studied particulate matters was the highest (40.79%), followed by soot aggregates (35.55%) and coal fly ash (19.74%). The results of energy spectrum analysis show that the main component of soot aggregates is C, and other contents are contributed by elements such as O and Si. Coal fly ash mainly contains C, O, Si, and a small amount of Al and Na. As, Cd, and Hg are the most easily enriched heavy metals. Industrial emissions, traffic discharges, coal combustion and dust emissions were found to be the main sources of heavy metals in atmospheric particulates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Ageing is the most significant contributor to the increasing prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF). The gut microbiota dysbiosis is involved in age-related diseases. However, whether the aged-associated dysbiosis contributes to age-related AF is still unknown. Direct demonstration that the aged gut microbiota is sufficient to transmit the enhanced AF susceptibility in a young host via microbiota-intestinal barrier-atria axis has not yet been reported. This study aimed to determine whether gut microbiota dysbiosis affects age-related AF. Methods and results Herein, by using a faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) rat model, we demonstrated that the high AF susceptibility of aged rats could be transmitted to a young host. Specially, we found the dramatically increased levels of circulating lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and glucose led to the up-regulated expression of NOD-like receptor protein (NLRP)-3 inflammasome, promoting the development of AF, which depended on the enhanced atrial fibrosis in recipient host. Inhibition of inflammasome by a potent and selective inhibitor of the NLRP3 inflammasome, MCC950, resulted in a lower atrial fibrosis and AF susceptibility. Then, we conducted cross-sectional clinical studies to explore the effect of ageing on the altering trends with glucose levels and circulating LPS among clinical individuals in two China hospitals. We found that both of serum LPS and glucose levels were progressively increased in elderly patients as compared with those young. Furthermore, the ageing phenotype of circulating LPS and glucose levels, intestinal structure and atrial NLRP3-inflammasome of rats were also confirmed in clinical AF patients. Finally, aged rats colonized with youthful microbiota restored intestinal structure and atrial NLRP3-inflammasome activity, which suppressed the development of aged-related AF. Conclusions Collectively, these studies described a novel causal role of aberrant gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of age-related AF, which indicates that the microbiota-intestinal barrier-atrial NLRP3 inflammasome axis may be a rational molecular target for the treatment of aged-related arrhythmia disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2019, a new disease characterized by yellow mottling on leaves was observed on Metaplexis japonica (Thunb.) Makino plants in Liaoning, China. Using RNA sequencing and PCR with overlapping primers, the complete nucleotide sequence of the circular double-stranded DNA genome of a new virus similar to caulimoviruses in diseased samples was determined. The genome comprised 7733 base pairs and was predicted to encode six proteins. It had the closest relationship to a caulimovirus, strawberry vein banding virus, based on sequence comparisons and phylogenetic analysis. Species-level sequence divergences from caulimoviruses were also observed in the conserved genomic regions. A complete episomal viral genome sequence in symptomatic M. japonica plants was identified, and the name "metaplexis yellow mottle-associated virus" is proposed for this virus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: China is paying more attention to ecological systems within the Yangtze River has provided great opportunities to the conservation of the Yangtze finless porpoise (YFP). The rapid population decline of YFP in the main steam appears to have slowed, but the infrequent movement of porpoises represents a considerable threat to the long-term viability of this species in this region. We studied the population viability of YFP in the Yangtze main steam, based on published ecological and genetic information. Methods: Vortex model was used to analyze the population viability of the YFP. The simulations were started from the year 2017 when the initial population size was 445 animals in baseline scenario. We examined the population viability for the species under demographic fluctuations and conservation scenarios. Result: Baseline model showed the probability of extinction was 0.245; deterministic growth rate was -0.023; stochastic growth rate was -0.036. Sensitivity analysis showed differences in population trends between the baseline and each alternative scenario and the most sensitive parameters were the percentage of females breeding and mortality rates. Under different conservation scenarios, the population of the YFP in the main stream will increase by 11.0%-181.2% in 100 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A putative new emaravirus, named "ailanthus crinkle leaf-associated emaravirus" (ACrLaV), was detected in Ailanthus altissima with severe crinkle symptoms by RNA-Seq and RT-PCR. Four viral segments associated with ACrLaV were identified and fully sequenced, except for a few nucleotides at the genomic termini. The RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RNA1), glycoprotein (RNA2), nucleocapsid protein (RNA3), and movement protein (RNA4), showed 26.5%-57%, 17%-49.9%, 14.4%-40.4%, and 14.1%-65.9% amino acid sequence identity, respectively, to those of known emaraviruses. All four ACrLaV genomic RNA segments are most closely related to those of common oak ringspot-associated virus from Germany, as supported by sequence comparisons and phylogenetic analysis. ACrLaV is considered a distinct member of the genus Emaravirus, and this is the first report of an emaravirus in A. altissima. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our knowledge of citrus viruses is largely skewed toward virus pathology in cultivated orchards. Little is known about the virus diversity in wild citrus species. Here, we used a metatranscriptomics approach to characterize the virus diversity in a wild citrus habitat within the proposed center of the origin of citrus plants. We discovered a total of 44 virus isolates that could be classified into species Citrus tristeza virus and putative species citrus associated ampelovirus 1, citrus associated ampelovirus 2, and citrus virus B within the family Closteroviridae, providing important information to explore the factors facilitating outbreaks of citrus viruses and the evolutionary history of the family Closteroviridae. We found that frequent horizontal gene transfer, gene duplication, and alteration of expression strategy have shaped the genome complexity and diversification of the family Closteroviridae. Recombination frequently occurred among distinct Closteroviridae members, thereby facilitating the evolution of Closteroviridae. Given the potential emergence of similar wild-citrus-originated novel viruses as pathogens, the need for surveillance of their pathogenic and epidemiological characteristics is of utmost priority for global citrus production. Author summary: Closterovirids are principal plant pathogens for citrus trees and other plants, as they sometimes cause new or re-emerging diseases. However, the closterovirid diversity in natural plant hosts, especially citrus plants, is unclear. Here, we describe three novel species and Citrus tristeza virus within the family Closteroviridae that were sampled from wild citrus trees growing in their natural habitat in southwestern China. The presence of three different taxon classes of the family Closteroviridae indicates the geographical uniqueness of the sampling region for citrus closterovirid evolution. Our analysis shows that frequent horizontal gene transfer, gene duplication, alteration of expression strategy, and recombination have been important evolutionary processes in the diversification of the family Closteroviridae. Our study also shows the significance of natural reserves as potential sources of disease agents endangering cultivated crop plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2019, plants of the genus Viola showing yellow mottling symptoms were collected in Liaoning, China. RNA sequencing and PCR both confirmed the presence of a reverse-transcribing DNA virus. The novel virus was named "viola yellow mottle virus" (VYMV), and its 9,872-bp genome was found to contain eight open reading frames. The polymerase (RT + RNase H) gene shared the most similarity (31.6% nucleotide and 41.6% amino acid sequence identity) with that of rose yellow vein virus (RYVV, NC_020999), which is currently the only member of the genus Rosadnavirus. Phylogenetic analysis indicated a close relationship between these viruses, suggesting that VYMV should be considered a new member of the genus Rosadnavirus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel plant virus with a positive single-stranded (+ss) RNA genome was detected in Taibei pomelo (Citrus grandis (L.) Osbeck cv. Taibeiyou) in China by high-throughput sequencing (HTS). Tentatively named "citrus yellow spot virus" (CiYSV), it has 8,061 nucleotides (nt) excluding the poly(A) tail and contains three open reading frames (ORFs). ORF1 is predicted to encode a replicase polyprotein (RP) with conserved domains typical of members of the family Betaflexiviridae. ORF2 encodes a protein sharing the highest sequence identity with the putative movement protein (MP) found in the negative-stranded RNA virus Trifolium pratense virus B (TpVB, MH982249, genus Cytorhabdovirus). ORF3 overlaps ORF2 by 137 nt and encodes a predicted coat protein (CP) that is distantly related to those of betaflexiviruses. Phylogenetic analysis based on the MP amino acid sequence showed that the CiYSV clustered with cytorhabdoviruses rather than betaflexiviruses, whilst trees based on the whole genome, RP, and CP showed it to belong to the family Betaflexiviridae but to be distinct from any other known betaflexiviruses. These results suggest that the CiYSV should be considered the first member of a tentative new genus in the family Betaflexiviridae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two Chinese isolates of Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) from Poncirus trifoliata, designated as CN-L1-ZT1 and CN-M1-ZT1, were completely sequenced. The phylogenetic analysis of these isolates suggested that two novel CTV genotypes L1 and M1 should be considered. In addition, the recombination analysis indicated that most of the 3′ terminal p33 to p23 open reading frames (ORFs) of these isolates were derived from different unknown CTV isolates. Thus, the L1 and M1 genotypes were two recombinants distinct from known CTV genotypes. RT-PCR protocols developed based on the p33 regions facilitated genotyping of L1 and M1 from other major CTV genotypes in China. These results could play an important role in further study of global CTV diversity and evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the current legal metrological regulation of diaphragm gas meter, domestic gas meters in China are required to pass mandatory initial verification at 20°C, and then a 10 years' legal duration is allowed without any subsequent or in-service verifications. Here, experimental study has been implemented to investigate the metrological performance and temperature adaptability of old diaphragm gas meters with different use age. Through the introduction of weighting factors, weighted mean errors are calculated to analyse the correlation between the indication errors of gas meters and their use age, as well as the relationship between the indication errors and test temperatures. Experimental results indicate that the use age of gas meters has negligible influence on their metrological performance during the 10 years' legal duration. However, the indication errors worsen as temperature varies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete genomic sequence of a novel potyvirus from a noni plant in China (Morinda citrifolia) with foliar mosaic and chlorotic symptoms was determined. The genomic RNA consists of 9645 nucleotides (nt) excluding the poly(A) tail, containing the typical open reading frame (ORF) of potyviruses and encoding a large putative polyprotein of 3077 amino acids (aa). Pairwise comparisons showed that the virus shares 48.8%–58.5% sequence identity at the genome sequence level, and 38.5%–53.4% identity at the polyprotein sequence level with other members of the genus Potyvirus. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the virus is most closely related to jasmine virus T and plum pox virus in the genus Potyvirus. These results suggest that this virus should be considered a distinct member of the genus Potyvirus, and it was tentatively named "noni mosaic virus" (NoMV). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, pregnant women in China generally face problems such as unbalanced and excessive nutrition, lack of proper exercise during pregnancy, which shows a significant increase in weight during pregnancy, leading to an increasing trend of perinatal complications. At present, there is less sports health management system for pregnant women throughout pregnancy. In view of this, based on the existing research in related fields, this study deeply explores the appropriate monitoring methods of pregnant women's sports in China. In this study, effective and convenient testing methods and evaluation criteria were proposed for pregnant women's sports and psychology. The research idea was a method based on the pulse wave to detect pregnant women's cardiac reserve capacity, and grading the Diastolic/Systolic value of pregnant women as a reference for grading individualized target heart rate range of moderate intensity exercise. The effective time and energy expenditure of pregnant women were assessed by monitoring the exercise process. The purpose is to help and guide pregnant women in the whole process of pregnancy self-movement management, and thus improve the quality of maternal health care services in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: High on-treatment platelet reactivity (HTPR) after clopidogrel administration in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) has been associated with an increased risk of adverse events. Our previous studies reported that half-dose ticagrelor provides a similar inhibitory effect on adenosine diphosphate (ADP)–induced platelet aggregation as standard-dose ticagrelor, but half-dose of ticagrelor has not been studied in Chinese ACS patients with HTPR. This study aimed to compare the antiplatelet action of half-dose ticagrelor with high-dose clopidogrel in ACS patients with HTPR. Methods: In this single-center randomized controlled trial, 80 (of 418 screened, 19.13%) ACS patients with HTPR while on clopidogrel were randomized to either half-dose ticagrelor (90 mg LD, then 45 mg twice daily) or high-dose clopidogrel (150 mg once daily). Platelet function was assessed by thromboelastography (TEG) and light transmission aggregometry (LTA), and adverse events were monitored throughout the study for 30 days. Results: The ADP-induced platelet inhibition rate (IR) as measured by TEG was significantly higher for half-dose ticagrelor compared with high-dose clopidogrel (70.40% [61.10%–91.70%] vs. 44.25% [34.67%–79.07%], p = 0.001). The repeated HTPR rate was dramatically higher for high-dose clopidogrel compared with half-dose ticagrelor (6 of 32, 18.75% vs. 1 of 35, 2.85%; p = 0.04). No patients in either treatment group exhibited a major bleeding event or other adverse events. Conclusions: In ACS patients with HTPR, half-dose ticagrelor is more effective than high-dose clopidogrel in reducing platelet reactivity (NCT03062462). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In July 2018, a yellow mottle leaf disease was observed on the leaves of Euonymus bungeanus Maxim plants in Liaoning Province of China. Typical flexuous filaments (diameter, 13 nm; length, ca. 500 nm) were observed in extracts on the symptomatic leaves. Transcriptome sequencing indicated the presence of a potexvirus in the infected samples. The complete viral genome, determined to be 6,784 nucleotides in length, excluding the poly(A) tail, contains five open reading frames and is most closely related to that of euonymus yellow vein associated virus (EuYVAV, MF078061) (41.0%). Based on the coat protein gene, this virus shares the highest sequence similarity with cymbidium mosaic virus (CyMV, EF125179), with 43.9% nucleotide and 38.8% amino acid sequence identity, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the virus clustered with potexviruses and is most closely related to EuYVaV. This virus is a distinct member of the genus Potexvirus, for which the name "euonymus yellow mottle associated virus" (EuYMaV) is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A previously unreported disease affecting jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) trees was observed in China (Liaoning province) in 2015 and named jujube yellow mottle disease (JYMD), due to prevalent symptoms on the leaves. Diseased plants produced also malformed and discolored fruits. In an attempt to identify the possible causal agent of JYMD, high-throughput sequencing of small RNA libraries was performed and a novel virus, tentatively named jujube yellow mottle-associated virus (JYMaV), was identified and characterized. Six genomic RNA segments of JYMaV were completely sequenced. Each one contains a single open reading frame in the viral complementary strand and two untranslated regions with complementary 5′ and 3′ terminal ends, thus showing typical features of other negative-stranded RNA viruses. RNA1 (7.1 kb), RNA2 (2.2 kb) and RNA3 (1.2 kb) encode putative proteins that, based on their conserved motifs, have been identified as the RNA dependent RNA polymerase, the glycoprotein and the nucleocapsid protein, respectively. These proteins share significant sequence identity (52.1–70.4%) with proteins encoded by raspberry leaf blotch virus (RLBV). RNA4 (1.5 kb) and RNA5 (1.2 kb) code for two putative 30 K movement proteins also related to the homologous RLBV protein. The functional role of the protein encoded by JYMaV RNA6 remains unknown. These data together with the phylogenetic relationships of JYMaV with other recognized emaraviruses support the proposal that JYMaV is the representative member of a novel species in the genus Emaravirus. In agreement with this proposal, virus-like particles and double-membrane-bound bodies, similar to those previously reported for other emaraviruses, were observed by transmission electron microscopy in extracts and tissues from symptomatic leaves, respectively. A specific RT-PCR-based detection method has been developed and used in a preliminary field survey that provided results strongly supporting the close association of JYMaV with the novel disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In September 2017, a yellow spot leaf disease was noted on the leaves of Prunus davidiana (Carr.) Franch. plants in Liaoning, China, and spherical virions (approx. 30 nm in diameter) were later observed in preparations of symptomatic leaves. Subsequent deep sequencing of small RNA revealed the presence of a virus in these symptomatic leaves The complete genome of this viral isolate consists of 6,072 nucleotides, excluding the poly(A) tail. The virus showed the closest genetic relationship to grapevine-associated tymo-like virus, reported in Colmar, France (GaTLV, MH383239), which is the sole member of the newly proposed genus "Gratylivirus" within the order Tymovirales, which is currently unassigned to a particular family. The virus clustered closely with GaTLV in a phylogenetic tree constructed based on complete genomic sequences. On the basis of the nucleotide and amino acid sequences of the replicase and coat protein genes, this virus shares the highest (although still relatively low) sequence similarity with those of GaTLV (41.6%–60.8% identity), indicating that the virus is a distinct member of the order Tymovirales, for which the name "prunus yellow spot-associated virus" (PYSaV) is proposed. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a virus naturally infecting P. davidiana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Organic components control microporosity and CH 4 sorption in transitional shale. • A correlation between clay and CH 4 sorption in shale is overshadowed or even reversed. • Clay minerals contribute to Meso- and macroporosity and control CH 4 storage in shale. • Coal is treated as naturally TOC-extreme case of transitional shale during discussion. Systematic understanding of geological controls on methane storage capacity in marine-continental transitional shale can help to predict the potential gas resources in such shale reservoirs. In the present study, seven transitional shale samples were first collected from three different basins (Qinshui Basin, Ningwu Basin, and eastern Ordos Basin) in Northern China and characterized for their composition, thermal maturity, pore structure and CH 4 adsorption capacity. Their total CH 4 storage capacities (including adsorbed and free gas) at pressures up to 10 MPa were determined using an ingenious method from previous studies. Based on this, we investigated the properties controlling gas adsorption and total gas storage in these shales. Meanwhile, several coal samples from the same strata unit were analyzed through analogous processes and treated as the naturally occurring extreme total organic carbon (TOC) cases of transitional shale during discussion. Our findings indicate that the transitional shale's composition (typically represented by the TOC and total clay content) directly influences the pore development and then controls the CH 4 adsorption, which is consistent with the previous findings for marine shale. Though the positive correlations between CH 4 adsorption capacity and both TOC and total clay content were observed for the studied shale samples, the observations demonstrate the dominance of organic components in rock for gas adsorption when the transitional shale and coal samples are considered together. In addition, the positive correlation between clay minerals and CH 4 adsorption may be overshadowed, even reversed. Based on the method used, the total gas-in-place (GIP) storage in these transitional shales shows a stronger positive correlation with total clay content than TOC content. This is mainly attributed to the meso- and macroporosity of clay minerals. For the studied shale samples, the relationship between thermal maturity and CH 4 storage capacity can be represented by a quadratic polynomial function, which is likely due to considerable variation in rock composition. Furthermore, it is emphasized that predicting the total GIP in shale and coal reservoirs using these correlations should be approached with caution, regardless of the method (direct/indirect) used to determine the GIP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Revealing the effects of reforestation on soil antibiotic resistome is essential for assessing ecosystem health, yet related studies remain scarce. Here, to determine the responses of the soil antibiotic resistome to reforestation, 30 pairs of cropland and forest soil samples were collected from southwestern China, a region with high environmental heterogeneity. All the forests had been derived from croplands more than one decade ago. The diversity and abundance of soil antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), metal resistance genes (MRGs), mobile genetic elements (MGEs), and pathogens were determined by metagenomic sequencing and real-time PCR. The results showed that reforestation significantly increased soil microbial abundance and the contents of Cu, total carbon, total nitrogen, total organic carbon, and ammonium nitrogen. Nevertheless, it decreased the contents of soil Zn, Ba, nitrate nitrogen, and available phosphorus. The main soil ARGs identified in this region were vancomycin, multidrug, and bacitracin resistance genes. Reforestation significantly increased the soil ARG abundance by 62.58%, while it decreased the ARG richness by 16.50%. Reforestation exerted no significant effects on the abundance of heavy metal resistance genes and pathogens, but it doubled the abundance of MGEs. Additionally, reforestation substantially decreased the co-occurrence frequencies of ARGs with MRGs and pathogens. In contrast, the correlation between ARGs and MGEs was greatly enhanced by reforestation. Similarly, the correlations between soil ARG abundance and environmental factors were also strengthened by reforestation. These findings suggest that reforestation can substantially affect the soil antibiotic resistome and exerts overall positive effects on soil health by decreasing ARG richness, providing critical information for assessing the effects of "grain for green" project on soil health. [Display omitted] • Reforestation decreases the diversity of soil antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). • Reforestation increases the abundance of soil ARGs. • Reforestation reduces ARG-metal resistance gene co-occurrence frequency. • Reforestation enhances the horizontal transfer potential of soil ARGs. • Reforestation decreases soil antibiotic-resistant pathogen occurrence probability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke are common complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We aimed to explore the differences in the risks of CHD and stroke between Chinese women and men with T2DM and their association with metabolic syndrome (MS). This study included 1514 patients with T2DM. The Asian Guidelines of ATPIII (2005) were used for MS diagnosis, and the UKPDS risk engine was used to evaluate the 10-year CHD and stroke risks. Women had lower CHD risk (15.3% versus 26.3%), fatal CHD risk (11.8% versus 19.0%), stroke risk (8.4% versus 10.3%), and fatal stroke risk (1.4% versus 1.6%) compared with men with T2DM (p<0.05–0.001). The CHD risk (28.4% versus 22.6%, p<0.001) was significantly higher in men with MS than in those without MS. The CHD (16.2% versus 11.0%, p<0.001) and stroke risks (8.9% versus 5.8%, p<0.001) were higher in women with MS than in those without MS. In conclusion, our findings indicated that Chinese women with T2DM are less susceptible to CHD and stroke than men. Further, MS increases the risk of both these events, highlighting the need for comprehensive metabolic control in T2DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social media use in government has gained a rapid growth in the last few years around the world. China has witnessed a boom in social media use in government, especially government microblogging. In this study, we employ social representation theory as the primary theoretical lens to investigate Chinese government microblogging. We hope the employment of social representation theory could help us overcome the limitation that previous studies focused on the technology and government side. Interviewing data are drawn from a number of Chinese citizens for eliciting their understandings of Chinese government microblogging, followed by structural analytical procedure on the collected data. The social representation elements are obtained and presented in a map. The findings indicate that (1) social media use in government in China is at the stage of fast growth but at low interaction level; (2) governance and social media user experiences are two new but significant concepts that might have been missed in literature; (3) government microblogging does improve citizens’ perceptions toward government; however, the final outcomes like trust and accountability cannot be achieved by relying on social media use in government alone. Theoretical contributions and practitioner implications are then discussed, followed by the limitations. Finally, we present the concluding remarks for this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Serum vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD)) may influence serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels and bone mineral density (BMD). In the present study, we assessed serum 25OHD concentration and its association with PTH and BMD in urban males from Guiyang (N26.57°), the capital city of Guizhou province, Southwest China. We recruited 634 males aged >20 years from the Guiyang Health Measures Survey, and stratified them into three groups according to age: young (20–39 years), middle aged (40–59 years) and older (60–79 years). We measured serum concentrations of 25OHD, PTH levels and BMD of the lumbar spine (L1–L4), femoral neck and total hip. In addition, we also explored the relationship between 25OHD and lifestyle, socio-economic characteristics and medical history by applying covariance analysis and locally weighted regression plots. The results showed that serum 25OHD was <50 nmol/l in 59·3 % of the subjects and >75 nmol/l in 12·6 % of the subjects. Higher level of serum PTH was detected in relation to lower concentrations of serum 25OHD up to 50 nmol/l. A negative correlation between serum 25OHD and PTH concentrations was observed (r−0·207, P=0·003). Mean concentration of serum PTH increased gradually and plateaued while concentrations of serum 25OHD decreased to 50 nmol/l. Gradual increase in serum PTH was observed as 25OHD concentration was <25 nmol/l (P=0·004). BMD values at all sites were greater in the higher serum 25OHD concentration group. This study shows that low concentrations of serum 25OHD were common in males, and bone health was likely to be improved when serum 25OHD values were between 30 and 50 nmol/l. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Bioaerosol is a new type of pollutant, which is related to the spread of many diseases. In particular, the bioaerosol produced in the hospital sewage treatment process contains many pathogenic bacteria, which will impact patients and surrounding residents. In this study, the biochemical tank (BRT) of the hospital sewage treatment station (HSTS) and municipal wastewater treatment plant (MWTP) were used as sampling points. The results showed that the concentration of bacteria (1843 CFU/m3) in bioaerosol produced by BRT of HSTS was higher than that in the air at BRT of MWTP (1278 CFU/m3). The proportion of small-size bacteria (<3.3 µm) in the air of HSTS and MWTP was similar. However, the abundance of small-size pathogenic bacteria in HSTS was higher than that in MWTP, such as Acinetobacter and Arcobacter. The dominant bacteria in HSTS and MWTP were different under different particle sizes. The dominant bacterial genera of bioaerosol in HSTS under different particle sizes were similar (Acinetobacter , Arcobacter , Comamonas); There were significant differences in the dominant bacterial genera of bioaerosol in MWTP under different particle sizes. The dominant strains with particle sizes ranging from 0 ∼ 0.43 µm were Acinetobacter (23.22%). Kocuria (15.13%) accounted for a relatively high proportion in the aerosol of 0.43 µm ∼ 0.65 µm. The dominant strains with particle sizes of 0.65 µm ∼ 1.1 µm and 1.1 µm ∼ 2.1 µm were relatively single, and Exiguobacterium and Paenibacillus accounted for 51.51% and 60.15%, respectively. Source tracker showed that most of the pathogenic bacteria in bioaerosols came from sewage. One hour later, the concentration of particulate matter in the place 200 m away from BRT of HSTS (1 × 10−10 mg/m3) was higher than that in MWTP (1 × 10−11 mg/m3). The hazard quotient (HQ) of people around HSTS (HQ male : 1.70 × 10−1; HQ female : 1.36 × 10−1) was higher than that of MWTP (HQ male : 1.18 × 10−1; HQ female : 9.40 × 10−2). Pathogenic bacteria (Acinetobacter , Arcobacter) were detected in HSTS and MWTP and the BugBase phenotype prediction results showed potential pathogenicity. More attention should be paid to the protection of the people. It is suggested to strengthen the air sterilization treatment near HSTS according to the diffusion trajectory of bioaerosol, and the surrounding personnel should wear N95 and other protective masks. [Display omitted] • Hospital sewage produced more bioaerosols. • Proportion of small particles in BRT of HSTS and MWTP was similar. • Bioaerosol on each particle size in HSTS contained pathogenic bacteria. • Sewage was the main source of bioaerosol. • Bioaerosol emitted from HSTS diffused range larger and might have a higher risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cordyceps militaris has long been used in prescriptions of traditional Chinese medicine as a tonic for the treatment of metabolic syndrome. Cordycepin with proven immunomodulatory, antitumor, and hepatoprotective properties is the main active metabolite of C militaris . Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic diseases in which the body is unable to regulate blood sugar levels. Hence, we hypothesized that cordycepin can normalize blood sugar levels and improve the indicators of diabetes. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible effects of cordycepin from C militaris on diabetes in an alloxan-induced diabetic mouse model. Diabetic mice were intraperitoneally administered different doses of cordycepin (8, 24, and 72 mg/kg body weight) daily for 21 days. Acute toxicity test on normal mice was carried out by giving them maximum tolerance dose of cordycepin (3600 mg/kg) daily. A 47% reduction of the blood glucose level, 214% increase of hepatic glycogen content, and significant improvement of oral glucose tolerance were noticed after the effective dose of cordycepin was administered. Polyphagia and polydipsia, the typical symptoms of diabetes, were partly alleviated. Moreover, cordycepin offered protective effects against diabetes-related kidney and spleen injury. Maximum tolerance dose test indicated that cordycepin at the large dose of 3600 mg/kg did not show significant effect on body weight and major organ in normal mice after intraperitoneal administration for 14 days. The results showed that cordycepin from C militaris that elicited hypoglycemic activity contributes to the regulation of glucose metabolism in liver in alloxan-induced diabetic mice. Therefore, a cordycepin treatment during diabetes can improve some of the metabolic syndrome symptoms by regulation of glucose absorption in vivo. Cordycepin may serve as a therapeutic agent in the treatment of diabetes and its related complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since its modernization, China's New Deal of the late Qing Dynasty have brought about municipal administrative reforms in such aspects as town autonomy. This article reviews the modernization and westernization process of China's modern urban administrative system, based on which it explores the municipal administrative system's reform and changes in urban form, the construction of laws and regulations concerning antiquities preservation, as well as modern urban plans in relation to city wall demolition in traditional Chinese cities. Finally, the article reflects on a series of historical facts, including the publication of the Encyclopedia of Municipal Administration through which the introduction of Western planning theories was reflected, as well as on the modern municipal planning practices carried out by Sun Ke and other historical figures, thus illustrating the practical significance of historical research on China's modern urban planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chehugou granite-hosted molybdenum deposit is typical of the Xilamulun metallogenic belt, which is an important Mo–Ag–Pb–Zn producer in China. A combination of major and trace element, Sr and Nd isotope, and zircon U–Pb isotopic data are reported for the Chehugou batholith to constrain its petrogenesis and Mo mineralization. The zircon SIMS U–Pb dating yields mean ages of 384.7 ± 4.0 Ma and 373.1 ± 5.9 Ma for monzogranite and syenogranite and 265.6 ± 3.5 Ma and 245.1 ± 4.4 Ma for syenogranite porphyry and granite porphyry, respectively. The Devonian granites are calc-alkaline with K2O/Na2O ratios of 0.44–0.52, the Permian granites are alkali-calcic with K2O/Na2O ratios of 1.13–1.25, and the Triassic granites are calc-alkaline and alkali-calcic rocks with K2O/Na2O ratios of 0.78–1.63. They are all enriched in large-ion lithophile elements (LILEs) and depleted in high-field-strength elements (HFSEs) with negative Nb and Ta anomalies in primitive mantle-normalized trace element diagrams. They have relatively high Sr (189–1256 ppm) and low Y (3.87–5.43 ppm) concentrations. The Devonian granites have relatively high initial Sr isotope ratios of 0.7100–0.7126, negative ɛNd(t) values of −12.3 to −12.4 and 206Pb/204Pb ratios of 16.46–17.50. In contrast, the Permian and Triassic granitoids have relatively low initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.7048–0.7074), negative ɛNd(t) values of −10.1 to −13.1 and 206Pb/204Pb ratios of 17.23–17.51. These geochemical features suggest that the Devonian, Permian and Triassic Chehugou granitoids were derived from ancient, garnet-bearing crustal rocks related to subduction of the Palaeo-Asian Ocean and subsequent continent–continent collision between the North China and Siberian plates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Because of rapid alterations in lifestyle and the incidence of metabolic syndrome (MetS), the prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis (CA) and carotid plaque (CP) may increase in China. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of CA and CP as well as its relation to MetS in an East Chinese population. Methods The study included 6142 subjects who underwent general health screening including carotid ultrasonography in 2009. Diagnoses of MetS were made according to the revised Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. Results The prevalence of CA and CP increased gradually with age. These conditions were more prevalent in men than in women (CA: 22·1% vs 12·0%, P < 0·001; CP: 12·6% vs 7·2%, P < 0·001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that male gender, age, blood pressure, fasting blood glucose (FBG) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were risk factors for CA and CP, while high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was protective for CA. Age ≥50 years has the largest impact on CA and CP, followed by elevated blood pressure and elevated blood glucose. Individuals with MetS had a higher prevalence of CA (27·7% vs 20·0% in men, 24·0% vs 10·3% in women; P < 0·001 in both) and CP (16·6% vs 11·2% in men, P < 0·001; 11·8% vs 6·5% in women, P < 0·005) than those without MetS. The prevalence and odds ratios of CA and CP aggregated with an increasing number of MetS components, even in individuals exhibiting only one component. Conclusions These results indicate that CA and CP have become a major public health problem in China. MetS and its components were associated with an increased prevalence of CA and CP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Lamadian Oilfield in Daqing is characterized by thick layers, complex facies combination, and serious interlayer heterogeneity, so influential factors of a deep profile control agent on deep profile control and oil production increase and its adaptability to reservoirs were studied using core flooding tests. The results show that the agent amount, intensity, and permeability variation coefficient (V K) of reservoir all influence the effect of oil production increase after profile modification. The larger the injected volume, the better the stimulation effect. The increment of recovery ratio showed an increase and then decrease trend when agent intensity increased. Larger V K resulted in better stimulation effect. Core flooding tests and instrument detection results show that, the profile control agent can flow in the pore only when the value of molecular group size and the medium value of pore throat radius are in the compatibility zone. Therefore, for a heterogeneous reservoir, the characteristics of high, middle, and low permeability layers and the match relations of agent molecular group size and medium value of pore throat radius of reservoir rock must be taken into consideration when designing the agent intensity and slug, so as to reduce the damage to middle and low permeable layers as much as possible. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

BACKGROUND: One promising area of paddy weed control is the potential for exploiting the weed-suppressing ability of rice. This study was conducted to develop commercially acceptable allelopathic rice cultivars using crosses between allelopathic rice variety PI312777 and commercial Chinese cultivars (N2S, N9S, Huahui354, Peiai64S and Tehuazhan35), and to assess their weed suppression and grain yield in paddy fields in relation to their parents. RESULTS: There was a positive dominance in the crosses Huahui354 × PI312777 and N2S × PI312777 but recessive or negative dominance in N9S × PI312777, Peiai64S × PI312777 and Tehuazhan35 × PI312777. Huahui354 × PI312777 and N2S × PI312777 showed stronger weed suppression than their parents and other crosses. Finally, an F8 line with an appearance close to Huahui354 and a magnitude of weed suppression close to PI312777 was obtained from Huahui354 × PI312777. This line, named Huagan-3, was released as a first commercially acceptable allelopathic rice cultivar in China. The grain yield and quality of Huagan-3 met the commercial standard of the local rice industry. Huagan-3 greatly suppressed paddy weeds, although suppression was influenced by year-to-year variation and plant density. There was no certain yield reduction in Huagan-3 even under a slight infestation of barnyard grass in paddy fields. CONCLUSION: The successful breeding of Huagan-3 with high yield and strong weed suppression may be incorporated into present rice production systems to minimise the amount of herbicide used. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Streamflow and sediment runoff are important indicators for the changes in hydrological processes. In the context of environmental changes, decreases in both streamflow and sediment (especially in the flood season) are often observed in most of the tributaries of the middle Yellow River in China's Loess Plateau. Understanding the effect of human activities could be useful for the management of soil and water conservation (SWC) and new constructions. In this paper, changes in streamflow and sediment during the flood season (June–September) of the 1966–2017 period in a typical loess hill and gully landform basin were analyzed. Basin-wide rainfall of the flood season decreased nonsignificantly with an average rate of −0.6 mm/flood season for the whole study period by using the trend-free pre-whitening based Mann–Kendall trend test, while the decreasing rate was weakened on the time scale. A remarkable warming trend (1985–1999) and two decreasing trends (1966–1984 and 2000–2017) were observed, and the overall increasing trend could be found in air temperature series with a rate of 0.01 °C/flood season during the study period. Statistical models were developed to describe the rainfall-runoff and rainfall-sediment processes in the pre-impact period (when the hydrological series was stationary). Furthermore, the relative effects of climate variability and human activities on hydrological changes were quantified. Results proved the dominant role of human activities (versus climate variability) on the reductions of both streamflow and sediment load. The relative contribution of human activities to streamflow decrease was 84.6% during the post-impact period 1995–2017, while the contributions were 48.8% and 80.1% for two post-impact periods (1982–1996 and 1997–2017), respectively, to the reduction of sediment load. Besides, the effect of the exclusion of anomalous streamflow or sediment events on change-point detection was also analyzed. It indicated that the anomalous events affect the detection of change points and should be given full consideration in order to decide whether to remove them in the change-point detection. Otherwise, the full series with anomalous samples will completely affect the attribution results of hydrological changes. We also suggest that large-scale SWC measures with different construction quality and operational life could intercept and relieve most floods and high sediment concentration processes, but may amplify the peaks of streamflow and sediment when the interception capacities are exceeded under the condition of extreme rainstorm events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: On 7th June, 2018, a primary school in Beijing, China notified Shunyi CDC of an outbreak of acute respiratory disease characterized by fever and cough among students and resulting in nine hospitalization cases during the preceding 2 weeks. We started an investigation to identify the etiologic agent, find additional cases, develop and implement control measures.Methods: We defined probable cases as students, teachers and other staffs in the school developed fever (T ≥ 37.5 °C) with cough or sore throat; or a diagnosis of pneumonia during May 1-June 31, 2018. Confirmed cases were probable cases with Mycoplasma pneumoniae detected in oropharyngeal (OP) swabs by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). We searched case by reviewing school absenteeism records and interviewing students, teachers and staff in this school. Oropharyngeal swabs were collected from symptomatic students. Two qPCR) assay, a duplex qPCR assay, and sequencing were performed to determine the pathogen, genotype and macrolide resistance at the gene level, respectively.Results: From May 1st to June 31st, 2018, we identified 55 cases (36 probable and 19 confirmed), of whom 25 (45%) were hospitalized for complications. All cases were students, none of the teachers and other staffs in the school were with similar symptoms. The attack rate (AR) was 3.9% (55/1398) for all students. The cases were mainly male (58%), with an age range of 7-8 years (median: 7 years). 72% (18/25) of inpatients had radiograph findings consistent with pneumonia, and some cases were hospitalized for up to 4 weeks. Pathogen detection results indicated that Mycoplasma pneumonia (M. pneumoniae) P1 type 1 was the causative agent in this outbreak, and the strain harbored one point mutation of A to G at position 2063.Conclusions: The infections by macrolide-resistant M. pneumoniae are not always mild and pneumonia was common and M. pneumoniae could causes serious complications which require long-term hospitalization. In the future infectious disease prevention and control practice, M. pneumoniae should be paid more attention. It is necessary to establish and improve the pathogen and drug resistance surveillance system in order to prevent and control such mutated strains of M. pneumoniae from causing future outbreaks or epidemics in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using multiple-scale mobile gravity data in the Sichuan-Yunnan area, we systematically analyzed the relationships between spatial-temporal gravity changes and the 2014 Ludian, Yunnan Province Ms6.5 earthquake and the 2014 Kangding Ms6.3, 2013 Lushan Ms7.0, and 2008 Wenchuan Ms8.0 earthquakes in Sichuan Province. Our main results are as follows. (1) Before the occurrence of large earthquakes, gravity anomalies occur in a large area around the epicenters. The directions of gravity change gradient belts usually agree roughly with the directions of the main fault zones of the study area. Such gravity changes might reflect the increase of crustal stress, as well as the significant active tectonic movements and surface deformations along fault zones, during the period of gestation of great earthquakes. (2) Continuous significant changes of the multiple-scale gravity fields, as well as greater gravity changes with larger time scales, can be regarded as medium-range precursors of large earthquakes. The subsequent large earthquakes always occur in the area where the gravity changes greatly. (3) The spatial-temporal gravity changes are very useful in determining the epicenter of coming large earthquakes. The large gravity networks are useful to determine the general areas of coming large earthquakes. However, the local gravity networks with high spatial-temporal resolution are suitable for determining the location of epicenters. Therefore, denser gravity observation networks are necessary for better forecasts of the epicenters of large earthquakes. (4) Using gravity changes from mobile observation data, we made medium-range forecasts of the Kangding, Ludian, Lushan, and Wenchuan earthquakes, with especially successful forecasts of the location of their epicenters. Based on the above discussions, we emphasize that medium-/long-term potential for large earthquakes might exist nowadays in some areas with significant gravity anomalies in the study region. Thus, the monitoring should be strengthened. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel method for centimeter level high surface roughness copper nanoparticles (CuNPs)/silver nanowires (AgNWs) heterostructures prepared by vacuum thermal evaporation method and solid-state ionics method under 6 ​μA direct current electric field (DCEF) using fast ionic conductor KAg 4 I 5 was developed. The fractal dimension of the CuNPs/AgNWs heterostructures was calculated by grid-coverage method and the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) performance was detected by melamine aqueous solution as probe molecules. The results indicate that the macroscopic dendritic CuNPs/AgNWs heterostructures arranged neatly near cathode with the longest length of 6.3 ​cm were prepared, the diameters of CuNPs/AgNWs heterostructures ranged from 40 to 100 ​nm and many regularly arranged CuNPs with the diameter from 10 to 30 ​nm lie in the prepared nanoheterostructures, which lead to the CuNPs/AgNWs heterostructures have high surface roughness. The molar ratio of Ag:Cu is 11.87:1 and the fractal dimension of CuNPs/AgNWs heterostructures was 1.64 which means that there were more dentritic nanoheterostructures. The limiting concentration of melamine for the prepared high surface roughness CuNPs/AgNWs heterostructures SERS substrates is 10−16 ​mol/L, which is far below the strictest safety limits required of melamine in US and China. The EF for R6G/CuNPs/AgNWs heterostructures is estimated to be 4.82 ​× ​1012. These results indicate that the prepared CuNPs/AgNWs heterostructures with facile material synthesis, high surface roughness, low detection concentration and simple detection procedure has promising and strong application prospect for SERS detection in food safety. CuNPs/AgNWs heterostructures with the longest length of 6.3 ​cm were prepared by vacuum thermal evaporation method and solid-state ionics method, the diameters of CuNPs/AgNWs heterostructures ranged from 40 to 100 ​nm. The limiting concentration of melamine for the prepared high surface roughness CuNPs/AgNWs heterostructures SERS substrates is 10−16 ​mol/L and the EF for R6G/CuNPs/AgNWs heterostructures is estimated to be 4.82 ​× ​1012. [Display omitted] • Centimeter level high surface roughness CuNPs/AgNWs heterostructures were prepared. • The longest length is 6.3 ​cm and the diameters ranged from 40 to 100 ​nm. • Many regularly CuNPs with the diameter from 10 to 30 ​nm lie in the nanomaterials. • The limiting concentration of melamine for the nanomaterials is 10−16 ​mol/L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the atmospheric environment has seriously threatened human health. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are an important source of aerosol ARGs. A large WWTP, including sewage treatment process (SWP) and sludge treatment process (SDP), was selected in North China for sampling in this study. The content of ARGs, mobile genetic elements (MGEs), and bacterial genera in sewage/sludge and aerosols from different process stages was detected. The possible correlation between ARGs/ MGEs and bacteria was analyzed. The risk of antibiotic-resistant bacteria was evaluated and the diffusion of ARGs/MGEs was simulated. The results showed that the concentration of ARGs/MGEs varied as the process progressed, and which in the aeration tank was relatively high. The ARGs/MGEs content in SWP aerosol (8.35–163.27 copies/m3) was higher than that in SDP (5.52–16.36 copies/m3). The main ARGs/MGEs detected in SWP aerosol were tnpA-05, tnpA-04, and ermF, while the main ARGs/MGEs detected in SDP aerosol were sul1, ermF, and blaPAO. ARGs were positively correlated with most bacteria and Escherichia coli with ARGs carries higher cytotoxicity. ARGs/MGEs mainly diffused towards the southeast, which may cause harm to urban residents with the diffusion of aerosols. This study provides clues and theoretical basis for preventing the hazards of ARGs from WWTP sources. [Display omitted] • ARGs types and concentrations in different processes of WWTP had difference. • The sewage treatment area had a higher concentration of ARGs. • ARGs were associated with many airborne bacteria. • Escherichia coli containing ARGs had a higher cytotoxicity. • ARGs may spread to the surrounding area with the bioaerosols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The 210–205 Ma Habake pluton was formed in a continental collision setting. • The final closure of the Paleo-Tethys in the West Kunlun orogenic belt occurred after 209 Ma. • The parent rocks of rare metal-mineralized pegmatites are all S-type granites and contain >150 ppm Li. Recent discoveries of rare metal pegmatite deposits in the West Kunlun region are believed to be related to Triassic granites. However, the tectonic background of the mineralization in this region is currently unclear. Additionally, the mineralization potential of the granite must be determined to assess whether further exploration is warranted. This paper reports whole-rock elemental and Sr-Nd isotopic compositions, and zircon U-Pb ages and Lu-Hf isotopic compositions for the Habake granitic pluton. The zircon U–Pb dating revealed that these rocks formed in the Late Triassic (210–205 Ma). The two-mica granites are strongly peraluminous high-K calc-alkaline series rocks, with initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios of 0.71294 ∼ 0.71428, εNd(t) values of −7.79 ∼ -8.15, and εHf(t) values of −1.77 ∼ −32.22; these values are similar to those of Triassic BaryanHar Group graywacke rocks. The other granites are weakly peraluminous high-K calc-alkaline series rocks, with initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios of 0.70820 ∼ 0.70823 and 0.70942 ∼ 0.71041, εNd(t) of −3.81 ∼ -4.11 and −5.33 ∼ -5.40, and εHf(t) of −0.90 to +7.02 and −1.39 to −7.68, indicating that the granodiorite and biotite granite were respectively derived from partial melting of the juvenile crust and older lower crust in continental collision stage. Our new data show that the end of the continental collision between the South Kunlun Terrane (SKT) and Tianshuihai terrane (TST) likely occurred after 209 Ma. After analysis of the ore-forming parent rocks of the rare metal pegmatites, the graywacke-derived Habake two-mica granites, has lower Li contents that too low(<150 ppm), indicating that they did not form the rare metal pegmatites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new silicified microfossilassemblage has been recovered from the terminal Ediacaran Dengying Formation in China. • The preservation status of silicified tubular and spheroidal fossils is compared with that of the phosphatized ones. • The finding indicates that Cloudina, having a worldwide distribution in different paleoecologies and biofacies. A silicified fossil assemblage is newly recovered from the acid-macerated residuals of the siliceous dolomite in the late Ediacaran upper Dengying Formation, Tudimiao Section, Ningqiang, southern Shaanxi Province, China. It consists of a large number of tubular and spheroidal fossils. Of them, Cloudina and Sinotubulites can be well identified by the remaining "cone-in-cone" structure or transverse corrugations and longitudinal ridge and multi-layered outer wall, and several other tubular fossils of unknown affinities can also be recognized. However, most of the tubular fossils are generally preserved as steinkerns lacking detailed surface ornamentation and are difficult to distinguish. Morphologically, spheroidal fossils are highly diversified, comprising one-cell to various aggregated ones including two-cell, three-cell, four-cell, five-cell, or other irregular morphotypes. Therefore, three different preservational styles in the weakly biomineralized organisms may be presented in this area, referring to three tubular fossil assemblages in the Gaojiashan biota, i.e. from the lower to upper, a pyritized Conotubus - Gaojiashania in the siltstone-mudstone and calcified Cloudina in the limestone at the mid-upper Gaojiashan Member, Dengying Formation in the Gaojiashan section and at upper Gaojiashan and lower Beiwan members, Dengying Formation in the Shengchangba section, a phosphatized Cloudina - Sinotubulites association in the lower Beiwan Member, Dengying Formation in the Lijiagou section, and a silicified tubular and spheroidal fossil association at the mid-upper Beiwan Member, Dengying Formation in the Tudimiao section. This finding thus may have some broad implications, it not only opens a new taphonomic window for the late Ediacaran weakly biominerlizing organisms, encourages us to explore more extensively the once neglected cherty dolomite, but also considerably expands the geographical range and species richness of the terminal Ediacaran biosphere. More importantly, the finding also indicates that Cloudina having a worldwide distribution in different paleoecologies and biofacies has the greatest advantage of being the stratigraphic marker for correlation with precision to different paleocontinents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]